The Audition, part II

Very often, your booking the job, or not, has occurred before you have spoken your first line.

What?

Walking in the door and taking your space is almost more important than the actual audition itself.

How is your posture? Are you confident? Are you apologizing for being there?

TAKE THE SPACE. It is YOURS for those few minutes. Be unafraid at presenting the best YOU you can be, while still maintaining a sincere, professional connection with others in the room.

Shaking hands: Do you? or not?

My rule: LET THEM dictate.

What do I do? I enter the room with a warm, friendly, sincere, "Hello" and a genuine smile. If they (and this is where our observation skills as actors pay off) move towards you and offer their hand to shake it? TAKE IT.

If not? DON'T

...and move on.

Now here's the thing...if they DO NOT shake your hand...you CANNOT take it personally! Think about this: in these times of OCD, SARS and Swine Flu...some people are just a little uncomfortable with physical contact, OR, maybe they have something they don't want to give to you.

Bottom Line:

Don't make it a big deal if the shake doesn't happen. It's about the work, and NOT the hand shake. Don't let it rattle you. Be confident, show your work, be you.

It's funny, I have overheard actors bitching about how rude an agent, or a CD was because they chose NOT to shake the actors hand.

"I couldn't believe how rude they were! I held out my hand and they said to me, 'I'm sorry I don't shake hands.' - DO YOU BELIEVE THAT!? I didn't know what to do. That ruined my audition. (S)He's a jerk!"

really?

All that?

Cuz of a handshake?

Don't let the little things distract you from why you are really there, and what you are looking to accomplish.

And you may have to ask yourself a hard question: Are you LOOKING for something to blame? In other words, fear of success can rear it's head in strange and unusual ways. By finding some insignificant thing to blame your "botched" audition on releases you of the responsibility of presenting your best work. DON'T DO THAT! Be responsible for the amazing work for which you are capable!

Focus, and let nothing steer you from a successful audition.